Nov 7th, 2023
Saturday was incredible so this is a GREAT read! SO MANY asked for the tax deductible 501c3 re-direct link, www.cancerrevengers.com/pnoc, for the clinical trial Layla helped spring open (more below). We officially announced our collaboration with the PNOC Foundation on Saturday night and our intention to funnel funds to it, specifically to getting this trial open and funding more and more spots, $15,000 per spot. The money goes straight to them, not to us. We have an agreement that the money will go where we mutually agree on as well as bypass all institutional waste, right to the front line warriors. So there it is just in time for the close of 2023 taxes. All donations to that link ARE tax deductible and Layla donated $1,000. PNOC will email you your receipt. This link will re-direct you to their page, www.cancerrevengers.com/pnoc
And Saturday night was so incredible that we're already planning another event as a whole new set of "you cannot make this stuff up" turn of events came up yesterday! More on that and a few bullets on topics below:
- Thank you!!
- Link to deductible donations to the clinical trial
- Layla ushered in a new era for cancer yesterday
- The story of the F-18 pilot
- One final video message from me
- NEXT EVENT! April 6th the real life Cancer Revengers will be here for Layla's 9th birthday
- Online auction in December
- Links to videos
THANK YOU!!
Wow, what a night! Thank you all! Layla, Top Gun, James/"Maverick,"YOU ALL, our sponsors, F-18 pilots, F-35 Stealth pilots, and, the very pilot Layla met back in February when she rang the bell at North Island, as he was about to take off in his F-18. More on that below.
LINK TO PNOC TRIAL GIVING - GET THOSE YEAR END DONATIONS IN FOR 2023 TAXES
Many of you asked, so the link to the PNOC Foundation link is below for tax deductible non-profit giving. We needed $40K to get this personalized trial open. You all lowered that number to $26K just that night alone. This link will re-direct to their 501(c)(3) tax deductible donation page. LET'S HIT $40K this week! Layla donated $1,000, match it? But even if not, EVERY dollar counts, and now you all know why. Link below:
www.cancerrevengers.com/pnoc
A NEW ERA
Twenty four hours ago, Layla ushered in a new era of cancer treatment, becoming the first in the world with her cancer type, to ever be treated with a personalized roadmap based on personal data. Her MRI last Thursday was stable, but momentum slowed, so we decided to hit it with some new sidewinders. She's doing well and most of her existing treatment plan is in place, we're just slowly modifying it logically as we go based on HER OWN DATA!!!
THE STORY OF THE PILOT
When John ("Wedge" - pictured in image 3439 on the left), took us to the Top Gun bar for Layla (her 2nd time with him) to ring the "real" bell, there was an F-18 about to take off. John pulled over, waved the pilot over. The pilot climbed out of the cockpit, down the ladder, and came over to chat with Layla. Layla asked if he couid go Mach 10 of course :). The pilot gave her his shoulder patch which is attached and I played on those words for our slogan, "Born to Fight, Born to Win."
We never exchanged information then but reconnecting was simply amazing. I used this patch to track down his Aircraft Wing and sent a message via social media. I was told the message was sent but had no idea if he was coming or not. Well, as it turns out, he (and other F-18 pilots) did come and shared with me that he had wondered about her. What he told me next blew me away...he was never supposed to be there. It's a Navy base, he is Marines, Miramar. But he needed to land to fix something, so he did. And there we were, passing by as he was about to take off. This was a really touching thing to hear and one of the F35 pilots, she heard about the event and came because she has a family member battling a similar disease. Bonds were re-freshed and new bonds were formed on Saturday night.
NEXT EVENT: APRIL 6TH, 2024
Yesterday the Boston team emailed me, "we are going to be in San Diego in April as the Cancer Research event is being held there this year." I look at the dates, Layla's birthday weekend. I said no freaking way. And instantly, the next event date was decided, Saturday April 6th, so SAVE THE DATE! Her birthday is the next day. So we're looking to have an event with the real life Cancer Revengers in attendance and they are insisting that Layla take them to the Top Gun bar, which we will on the 4th or 5th. The event may be up here in Encinitas, or could be some place else, TBD. The brain storming has begun but, mannnn, I will just tell you, I don't do coincidence, as you saw from the film.
MY FINAL MESSAGE
One final message from me, to all of you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwKpDqe5wck
ONLINE AUCTION
We had 5-weeks to plan this one. We'll have 5-months for the next one, so just you wait! For this one, we moved the auction to be online, that'll go live early December. We ARE still looking for items to add to it.
LINKS
The "Maverick" moment was actually caught on camera. Re-live it at the link below and below that, is a link to Layla's cancer journey video.
"What's your name?" "Maverick"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4affhhpMJNU
Layla's Journey Film
www.vimeo.com/thebeaconscollective/laylacelebration
SPONSORS
Thank you to our Sponsors/collaborators - Sunday Morning Sidewalk, Board and Brew, Best Pizza, Burgeon Brew, San Diego Hot Spring Spas, Gone Whale Watching, National Geographic, Paramount and last but certainly not least my good old local dive op, Waterhorse Charters!
See you April 6th! All attendees from Saturday will get advanced notice/ticket access FOR SURE!
Best,
Shawn